Ultra-fast 5G smartphones are coming in 2019

Qualcomm's ambitious plans for 5G just took an important step forward.

A handful of smartphone makers are announcing plans to have 5G-ready phones by 2019. Among them: HTC, LG, Sony, and Oppo who will be among the first to adopt Qualcomm's ultra-fast Snapdragon X50 modem.

In total, 19 manufacturers have signed on to make 5G-compatible devices using the X50 in 2019. For consumers, that means there will be at least a handful of 5G-enabled devices on the market next year, in time for the first rollout of commercial 5G networks. 

On that front, Qualcomm also announced Thursday that 19 carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint, will start testing 5G networks using the X50 modem next year. Read more...